how do you get up from an all time low?

"Yeah, housemates I think. Haven't talked to anybody in years. So the term seems new to me nowadays." Luce replied with a shy smile, appreciating that she had met such a kind sister from a nice guy and began to ask. Just to make the conversations sort of interesting for the other young lady,

"Let me take a guess. You're starting your very first year?"

Alec smiled down at his sister, remembering old times. Times when things were much better. He knew she resented him a bit, for running off and leaving her to hear their parent's fighting, and he really didn't mean to, but most of the times he just couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sure you'll make friends quickly, though," he told Luce. "See, you're a pretty decent girl, Juliette," he joked, "Despite the fact you smoke, you makes you a bit badass as well."

"I think I'm going to have to quit anytime I can. But that's rather impossible." Luce replied with a shrug and put her promise into mind. She just have to see herself if she can.

Sighing at the compliment, she smiled at the sister and said, "Well, since you're starting your life here in Beauxbatons, I might give you precautions and awareness about the flirty people you can bump into." then whispered, "They're hundreds of them. So be careful."

Mel smiled at the girl. "Yeah, I'm a first year. New to all of this stuff." She waved her hands in a vague gesture.

Her eyes widened at the mention of hundreds of flirty people, though of course she'd known there'd be some. "Really? Like who?"

She looked around as though to confide some big secret, then leaned forward and whispered, "I'm really nervous!"

"You'll get to know them at first sight. Just take precautions. They're probably in the higher years. Some of our kind. Bad role models to the youngsters." Luce said with a soft laugh then added, "Though first years seem to be unnoticed, you should be nervous of what you might see or hear. Don't just go into one's party without knowing who they really are. It gets messy and stupid, mind you."

She recalled how she even survived that first year of hers. Of course she had a thing or two seeing the higher years mess around. But until she have reached her end of third year, it was a ridiculous nightmare. Well now, she finally got freedom.

"When I was like you, I never did talk to anybody or even socialized. But now, it's all changed. Maybe perhaps I got most of my confidence nowadays. But don't be like me back then, be sort of choosy when it comes to friends and groups and you're good to go." Luce cited and narrowed her eyes slightly at the brother while whispering, "If you're too quiet enough, you'll get pranked like me by those kind of guys."

Mel laughed at the 'bad role models' description. "Well if I haven't gone bad with him for a brother," she jerked her head at Alec "then I suppose I should be fine," she said in a lightly teasing voice.

Mel elbowed her brother in the side. "You didn't prank her! Naughty!" She gigled. "I'll be a little more outgoing perhaps."

Alec raised his arms in defence, "I didn't prank just her. It was about.. well, everybody, really."

"Just stay away from people like... well, Ninette Fontaine and Julian Rousseau, and you'll be fine," he told her.

Luce laughed, picturing in her mind Fontaine and Rosseau, their tactics before and then, grabbing victims everywhere and almost hating everyone. Well, not all exactly. Just some of the losers like she is. For Ninette that is.

"Yep. Just stay away from them. Besides, they're in a much higher year so maybe they'll ignore first years. But during prefect duty they will surely not." She shuddered at the thought of prefects and murmured, "Urgh. Prefects. What will be of us with them?"

"Don't be too shy, but don't draw attention. Stay out of the way of older years," Mel ticked off on her fingers. "Especially avoid Ninette Fontaine and Julian Rousseau. Don't let other people bother me too much. Anything else?" she asked. These tips were helpful and she planned to put them into practise right away.

"Well, we're off the hook with Rousseau as Prefect," Alec pointed out, "And I've heard Harmonie de Venin was being considered as the other 5th year Prideux prefect, so maybe we'll be alright."

"I think that's it," he said to his sister, "Rousseau and Ninette. . . they're not bad people. They just. . . well, they're mean to who they don't like, yes, very. And I don't think they like first years very much. But other than that, they're alright."

"And Julian as our prefect might be the worst-case-scenario. He'll do whatever he like. When I say whatever, you know what I mean." Luce replied with a shrug and added along the list,

"I just stay away from Fontaine. Don't want any mishaps even though we're in the same room occasionally." She smirked and whispered, "Hope you find our tips helpful. Besides, you have a brother you can count on to look after you. So no worries."

Alec smirked, "Oh, I know exactly what you mean."

"Look after her?" he echoed, "I hope I'm getting paid if I'm babysitting the little blonde devil."

He turned to his sister, "I'm kidding, sis, you know that, don't you? If you need something you can go to me." Running a hand through his hair, he joked, "Just don't make it a habit, yeah? I've got a reputation to keep up," he winked.

Mel stuck her tongue out at her brother and playfully punched him in the arm. "Now I'm tempted to dance around behind you all day and tell everyone you still sleep with a teddy bear. For your own benefit in present company, however, I will tell Luce that I made that up." She looked at Luce gravely. "Luce, my brother does not still sleep with a teddy bear, but if I go around proclaiming that, he probably deserves it. Don't interfere."

"Oh," she added as an afterthought, "And Yes, these tips are very helpful."

"Oh, shut it little girl," Alec said, "That's very mean of you."

He pretended to think for a moment, frowning and hand on his chin, "I wonder where you got that devious brain from. . . "

Amélieleaned her head contentedly on her brother's shoulder. "I've lived too long with you I guess. I was bound to pick it up sometime."
She looked over at her brother's friend/housemate. "So, Luce, do you have any siblings?" She was curious about this older girl. What was she really like?